The One Beside You
by Yuuto Tamano
Summary: When Ruka Nogi's heart is broken after knowing that Mikan dates Natsume, only Hotaru Imai who's able to bring his smiles back, or so his little white rabbit, Usa-chan, thought.


**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice © Tachibana Higuchi. The One Beside You © Yuuto Tamano.

**Dedication: **To S.S. Chandelier, for everything you have done for me. I owe you lots of things. So, this is for you. What else? Um, I wish you a happy life and good luck on your (our) exams this march and april.

* * *

Ah, tonight you cry again.

Do you know that I can hear your cry clearly? No matter how hard you tried to cover your face and your tears with a pillow, I can still clearly notice you're crying. And look at your shoulder, trembling greatly when you bathe yourself in tears. Do you realize that?

You kept trying to wipe your endless tears. You have also tried to sink yourself among your pillows and your blanket. You even turned the lights off and closed the curtain, obscuring the moonlight breaching through your window's openings. It's like drowning yourself inside the darkness. It's like digging a large hole for yourself to get in and hide inside.

Do you know that all of them are useless? Because I'm here, right beside you, looking straight at you with sympathy on all my veins.

Yet, do you realize my existence?

Slowly I tried to crawl into you through the gap between the bed and your favorite azure-colored blanket. Then with my hand, I reached the strands of your blonde hair and softly pulled them. I made your saddened face, which is hidden behind your pillows, turned to me.

Although it is so dark around but I can still see it; reddened face, wet cheeks, swollen eyes, and a really ironic smile.

With both of your hands, you carried me, while rising up to sit and got out from your hideout, and fondled me softly.

Then you tried to wipe both your wet eyes, "Ah, are you worried about me?"

I nodded slightly.

"But I'm allright now." _Liar._ "Sorry to make you worry..._Usa-chan._"

Liar! Please stop! Please don't force that smile in front of me, _Ruka-sama!_

* * *

**The One Beside You  
**

by Yuuto Tamano

* * *

Ruka-sama then sleeps peacefully afterward. As if forgetting the fact that he was crying just a moment ago. Both his closed eyes remain swollen and his whole cheeks are wet from the tears that had been flowing endlessly.

I sighed deeply.

This is the third night that Ruka-sama cried like a starving baby. Even now his cry remains strange to me. I mean, hey, I know that Ruka-sama is a man and a man hardly shed tear. I know very much that Ruka-sama isn't a crybaby, because his true self is a gentleman.

Then how Ruka-sama ended like this?

It's all because of _love_, only because he has lost himself a love, only because the girl he loved has become another man's, who unfortunately is his best friend.

Uh, I really don't understand what love is. Oh, come on! I'm just _a_ little rabbit who can't do anything to ease its master's pain! So it's normal that I don't understand the feelings which all humans experience.

That's also what I don't understand; why does Ruka-sama have to cry like this?

Is love so great, to the point that it can change a human's personality into something so unexpected?

It began three days ago. That day was meant to be another flat, boring day for both of us. As usual too, Ruka-sama took me to his class, carrying me with both his hands, sometimes fondled my white fur softly. On our way to the class, there were so many girls glanced at us—more precisely to Ruka-sama. Since Ruka-sama became a student of Alice Academy Junior High 1st grade, I heard his fans grows in number, whether it's a female, or a _female_.

As we arrived at class 1-A, Ruka-sama instantly placed himself at his seat. Once I saw him stole a glance to the seat in front of him. The seat which belongs to a girl named Mikan Sakura, the girl who (was said) has been loved by Ruka-sama since they were ten.

Not long afterwards, suddenly screams could be heard from the classroom's door. The next thing I knew, both of Ruka-sama's cerulean eyes widened all of a sudden when he saw his best friend, Natsume Hyuuga walked into the class, _holding hands_ with Mikan Sakura

"_Good morning, Ruka-pyon!" _that girl greeted Ruka-sama happily as usual. _"Morning, Usa-chan!"_

_"Morning, Ruka." _his friend, Natsume, greeted him as well. Yet, Ruka-sama didn't return any of their greetings.

He then pointed to their intertwined fingers. _"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?"_

And innocently the girl replied with a big smile and a blushing red face. _"We're dating, Ruka-pyon! Me and Natsume are now dating!" _

It hit him, hard_. _I could see Ruka-sama's face turned pale. He also kept sucking his bottom lip and both his shoulders couldn't stop shaking. He bended down, as if he didn't want anyone else (especially Natsume and Mikan) looked at the expression on his face at the time. But _I_, and _only I_, could see it clearly. How his expression showed such an excruciating pain.

I stroked my head on his chest, wanting to comfort him as normally I did when Ruka-sama was grieving. Nonetheless, he did not react at all.

I failed.

And along that day, Ruka-sama kept that expression and always forced his smile when someone else greeted him. He had also kept avoiding face-to-face with Natsume and Mikan, whether he realized it or not.

Later that night, for the first time I saw an unusual scene; Ruka-sama cried under his blanket. A cry which, I thought, he had been holding since the morning. He let it out that night. Unconsciously I started crying, hearing his painful cry.

About one hour later, Ruka-sama turned to me. He then held me within his endlessly trembling hands.

"_Sorry Usa-chan, you must be shocked to see me like this, right?"_

I nodded and Ruka-sama held me tighter.

_"Oh, I'm so embarrassing. I really don't want to cry. But seeing Natsume and. . . Sakura, I can't suppress it at all..."_

I kept watching him silently.

_"I-I shouldn't be like this..." _More tears flowed through his cheeks. _"Both of them are the most important of people to me. I should be happy to see them happy. But I can't, Usa-chan! Seeing both of them so close makes my heart felt so much pain..."_

He then laid himself down onto the bed, covering both his swollen eyes with the back of his palms.

_"Usa-chan, I'm not a good friend...!"_

Those were Ruka-sama last words before he sunk into a deep sleep. I just stared at his angelic sleeping face silently. Occasionally I heard himself mumbling _'Sakura, I like you. I do like you.'_

Since that day, every night, Ruka-sama always throws away his jealousy by crying. Releasing his frustration by hiding himself behind his blanket.

Tonight is also the same.

I can't stand anymore seeing him like this. I must do something to make him smiling honestly as usual. Now, I'm the only one able to do it.

But what should I do? What can I do?

Ah, if I bring Mikan Sakura here, maybe it will make Ruka-sama feels happier.

* * *

Now I'm standing right before the door of Mikan Sakura's dormitory room. It isn't too far from Ruka-sama's room, just a few doors away. Okay, that I'm here now, I must be able to get in and persuade Mikan away to Ruka-sama's room.

But what if Mikan is already sleeping? Everything I've done today will be nothing. If I am correct, it is already 11 P.M now. It will be strange if Mikan is still awake.

But the goddess of fortune seems to be by my side. Through a small slit under her room, I caught a light.

Indicating that Mikan is still awake.

Spontaneously, I rammed the door, creating a loud enough sound so that Mikan will realize that I'm here. I smiled as I heard the footsteps coming near me and saw that the door finally opened. Then the brunette girl figure appeared before me. At first she glanced to right and left, then down and smiled.

"Ah, Usa-chan! Why are you coming here? Come on in!" she said cheerfully while holding me and took me inside. She then invited me to sit on her bed.

Now is the time.

I jumped down then pulled Mikan's pajamas, wanting to inwardly tell her to get out of her room and go to Ruka-sama's room, or that's what I thought before the girl said, "Hey, what are you doing, Usa-chan!"

I kept pulling her, forcing her to stand up from her position and walked a few steps to her door. I think I would make it, until she suddenly took me and held me up as high as both her huge hazel eyes are and smiled.

"I think you want me to go somewhere. But sorry, wherever it is I can't. I need to stay here." she said softly.

She then pointed her index finger to her slightly opened window. "You see that window, Usa-chan? Not long from now, Natsume will came from there. Now he is on his mission and when he comes here, he must be having some wounds on his body. That's why, I need to stay here, wait for him to came, and take care of his wounds."

Then she gave me another smile before putting me down. "I'm sorry, Usa-chan—Ah, that's Natsume coming!"

Without further ado, Mikan ran to her window, where Natsume, who is now opening the window widely so that he can come in, is. He then took a position to sit and leaned his back to the wall. I can see that he's injured, and some fresh bloods are sticking on his _kuroneko_ mask and his clothes.

Afterwards, I saw Mikan hugging Natsume for a while. Then, she took the First Aid which she has prepared to take care of his wounds.

Looking at the scenery, without taking a long time I know that I can't disturb them. More precisely, it is impossible to disturb them. Rather than Ruka-sama, Natsume needs Mikan more right now.

In an instant, I leaped out of that room. I have failed. I can't bring Mikan to comfort Ruka-sama.

Now what should I do?

While thinking of that, I kept leaping. Leaping as fast as possible without any aims. Actually, right now I don't know what I should do to make Ruka-sama not to cry every night. I feel useless. I want to cry at that thought.

_I'm useless to Ruka-sama._

All in a sudden, I hit something. It really is my carelessness not to look forward while leaping. As I rubbed my slightly hurt nose, I glanced up. Both my ears froze when I know what I hit—ah, precisely _who_ I hit.

Alice Academy's Ice Queen, Hotaru Imai.

"You're Nogi's rabbit, right?" Both her _amethyst_ eyes are staring flatly at me and that look scary. I can see some thin black lines below her eyelids. "What's your name again? Ura-chan? Uma-chan?"

_Usa-chan! My name's Usa-chan!_

She then shook her head, "Ah, whatever your name is, I don't have anything to do with you. Good bye."

With both of my eyes, I stared at her figure who started to walk away. I sighed. She really is the Ice Queen. Just being near her nearly froze me. Even Ruka-sama fears her. But what is she doing in the middle of the night like this, huh?

_Curiosity kills the bunny_. I turned my body back and started following her.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Uwa-chan? Why did you follow me?" Hotaru Imai asked flatly, but if I listen closer to it, I can hear that she's kinda upset.

I myself am confused why I'm here, in the Ice Queen's room. I'm just curious in what she's doing, that's why I followed her. I never ever expected that I will end up in her room, staring at her who is so serious on making her invention, whatever that is.

Oh, and by the way, my name's Usa-chan, not Uwa-chan!

"Yea, whatever you want, here or everywhere else. Just don't interfere with my work. " she told me, while not turning her focus off her machines.

Yeah, whatever.

Both my eyes scanned the room. Her _triple star_ room is painted in purple, which is matching her eyes. The interior is the same with the one on Ruka-sama's room, except maybe, Ruka-sama has a tidier looking room. Here I can see bolt, screwdriver, wrench, plates of iron, aluminum wires, and more weird things scattered everywhere. There's also some kind of robots which are standing still on the corners of the room, staticly. It's really a room which belongs to someone with an Invention Alice. It will be weird if the room is clean and tidy like those belong to the other children.

I kept moving my head to see my surroundings, observing further about her room. Until my eyes stopped on an item placed above her table; a camera. Some taken photos are scattered beside the camera. Without second thought I stepped towards those things.

It quickly made me frozen, yet at the same time my face felt really hot when I saw what kind of pictures—more precisely, _who's_ picture those are. Unconsciously, my saliva flowed down my mouth.

Ruka-sama pictures! _All of them_ are the pictures of Ruka-sama, with all kind of poses (most of them are candid)!

Oh my God.

I think I could faint seeing these photos. How handsome Ruka-sama is!

I shook my face. Now isn't the time to think about that. The question is, why all the pictures are Ruka-sama's? I know that Hotaru takes picture of Ruka-sama really often, then blackmails Ruka-sama with all that photos or even sells them to all Ruka-sama fans.

Ah, but maybe Hotaru intends to choose good pictures for sale tomorrow.

"Don't touch the pictures, Uda-chan, It's _mine_."

I shocked and leaped from where I was when I heard that shout. Hotaru then took those photos and put it inside her desk, then locked it. She then turned to me, stared at me like an eagle and sighed deeply.

"That master of yours really makes no good for me lately." she said then, "That gloomy style of his fails me to get a good photo for sale. It really is annoying."

I just watched her silently, when she once more took a position in front of her invention and continued her work.

"_Damn that Nogi..._" she whispered to herself, unfortunately such thing won't escape my sharp ears.

Oh, just now I suddenly got a good idea! If I can't make Ruka-sama happy again, the genius Hotaru should be able to. Hotaru must know how to make Ruka-sama smiles again.

In an instant I leaped towards her, then took the screwdriver she had in her hand with my jaw. Then I leaped outside through the mail-hole on her door, closing my ears to the shout _"What are you doing! Give me my screwdriver back!"_ which came out from her lips.

I kept leaping as fast as possible. Sometimes I looked behind to make sure whether Hotaru is following me or not. I took a breath in relief when she's still following me, although I'm quite surprised knowing that she used her _floating swan_ to chase me. Of course I tried to leap faster than her.

Finally I could see the door of the room which Ruka-sama belongs to. I quickly snapped to Ruka-sama's room through the same mail-hole with the one on Hotaru's door.

Then I stopped leaping, and inhaled as much oxygen as I could. Ahahaha, I really wanted to laugh out loud, before realizing that Hotaru had succeeded in opening the door behind me and glaring at me.

"Damn, both Nogi and his rabbit both annoy me. Now you can't go anywhere, Uba-chan, give that screwdriver back to—"

I don't know what stopped her sentences and afterward she stepped further into this room. She stopped beside Ruka-sama's bed, focusing her eyes at the sleeping figure of Ruka-sama while taking her camera out.

He-hey, you're not serious about taking photos of sleeping Ruka-sama, are you?

But, both of my ears don't hear that unique clicking sound just yet. No matter how long I waited, that clicking sound never came out, it made me wondering in confusion. Then I looked at Hotaru, who seemingly froze for a while before putting her camera down.

What I never expected to happen, happened at last; Hotaru touched Ruka-sama's cheek. Looks like she realized the marks which the tears had left on both his cheeks.

"What a stupid bunny boy. I didn't expect that you even cried."

Those are the only sentences going out from the lips of Hotaru Imai. Both her _amethyst_ eyes remain looking at Ruka-sama closely. She then took a chair and placed that chair right beside Ruka-sama's bed. While not releasing her sight from Ruka-sama, she sat on that chair. When I closed both of my eyes, willing to sleep, she's still sitting there.

On the next day when I woke up, Hotaru Imai is already gone.

* * *

Since that night, the next evening I came back to visit Hotaru Imai on her room, finding her still working with her invention. Then I stole one of her items and leaped out towards Ruka-sama's room, with herself running after me. And as we got into Ruka-sama's room, she took the same chair with the chair she used the night before, then sat in silence while staring at a sleeping Ruka-sama, still with his swollen eyes. Then disappeared the next morning.

That keeps repeating for the next nights. Again, again, and again. Until it's finally the fifth day Hotaru visits my room and the eighth day Ruka-sama do his night ritual.

Oh, and I didn't fail to notice, that as the day passed Ruka-sama's crying has been lessening. Even actually, Ruka-sama has stopped crying ever since the fifth day of his night ritual. Yet, he changes his crying with managing to stare endlessly at the ceiling above him, without making a sound, until he finally falls asleep.

And today as usual I leaped towards Hotaru's room. But something unusual happened. I caught Hotaru has waited for me in front of her room. A slight grin can be seen on her face.

"I've waited for you, Uma-chan. I won't let you take my belongings again." she shouted, shocking me. "Let's go."

Her words surprised me. Now she wanted to go by her own will? Wow.

"What are you waiting for? You're wasting my time!"

I quickly leaped to catch up with her, while laying my sight at the flat face of the girl. It's so weird.

When we arrived at Ruka-sama's room, Hotaru as usual took the chair and sat on it, while staring at Ruka-sama who was sleeping soundly at that time.

I thought tonight will be the same as usual.

Until my mind is shown to be one hundred percent wrong.

"Wake up, Nogi." said Hotaru suddenly, shocking me and made my furs in chaos. "I know you're pretending to sleep."

How right she is, Ruka-sama then opened both his eyes. Then he turned to see Hotaru with a forced smile. "Good night, Imai, How do you know that I was pretending to sleep?"

Woah, I'm impressed. Even I didn't realize that Ruka-sama is still awake.

I saw the girl's grin getting wider. "Don't underestimate me. I can see when someone are sleeping and when someone are not."

"As expected from Hotaru Imai."

After that, silence was on the air, until Ruka-sama voiced with his own.

"Since when have you been waiting here for me every night, Imai?"

"Since five days ago, it seems." She stopped for awhile. "And to erase the misunderstanding, I _do not_ wait for you. I am _observing you_."

Isn't that the same?

"It's already that long, huh..."

"Thanks to your rabbit, Upa-chan."

I was surprised and stood up hearing what she said. Hey, don't blame me! Maybe I _am_ the one who takes you to this place every night, but I _don't_ ask you to sit here silently and observing Ruka-sama, or whatever you're calling it. And until when do you want to call my name wrong?

"Its name is Usa-chan. Not Upa-chan."

For a moment I heard Ruka-sama giggling, kinda shocking me. Did I really hear what I just heard coming out of Ruka-sama's lips? Ah, I might hear it wrong.

"Okay, Usa-chan. Whatever." Hotaru kept herself silent for a while. "How are you now, _crybaby?"_

Hey, how dare she talk to Ruka-sama like that!

"Oh, I'm surprised. Hotaru Imai actually worried about me!"—I saw Hotaru glaring at Ruka-sama—"I'm fine, thanks to you."

"Don't tease me, Nogi."

"I don't tease you. I am really happy that you came here waiting for me—"

"Observing you." Hotaru corrected quickly. I wanted to laugh hearing that.

"—yeah, observing me. Actually I know you're here since three days ago. It was a coincidence that I was woken up in the middle of the night and kinda surprised seeing you sleeping on that chair... and I slightly got embarrassed when you know that I...errr..."

"Cried. Just admit it."

"...yeah, _that_. Since then, you know, I lost the appetite to do _that_ again. I felt like a stupid myself. Just because Sakura is dating Natsume, I became like that. I really am still so childish. I hope you understand what I'm feeling."

Hotaru sighed. "Unfortunately, though I wanted to, I still don't understand. Oh, maybe there's _one_ thing I understand, that you're a _stupid_ guy."

"Hahaha, you're right." I was shocked for a while hearing Ruka-sama laughing. I mean, _really_ laughing.

"Apologize to me, Nogi."

That order left me dumbfounded and Ruka-sama lifted both his eyebrows up. "For what?"

"Because you kept being gloomy, it made me unable to get good pictures to sell." Hotaru grinned widely because of it.

Silence is in the air for a while. I didn't think Hotaru should say that in times like this. But what I didn't expect next is a laugh from Ruka-sama. A refreshing smile. Oh, it's been a long time since the last time I see that kind of laugh. How handsome he is when he does that!

"I understand. Unfortunately it's a fact that I won't apologize for that. But in exchange, you can take my picture now. I'll give you my best smile. A smile which I rarely exhibits. How about that?"

Hotaru at first fell silent before she nodded. She then took her camera out as Ruka-sama rose and took a position to sit. Ruka-sama then told me to open the curtain so the moonlight can breach into the room. After I had done what I was told, I returned to my original position. By then, Hotaru already focused her camera at him.

"This must turns out to be a nice picture, Nogi..."_Be wary if it isn't_, I continued that phrase inside my heart while giggling.

Ruka-sama then nodded and giggled.

Then he smiled, not so wide, but not so small. He lifted the corners of his lips up in a right and enjoyable portion. Both of his _cerulean_ eyes peered softly like an angel's. There's red blushes on both his cheeks. The warm moonlight perfected his already perfect look.

Ruka-sama really is handsome and fascinating, leaving me dazzled and made my face hot. I am spellbound by his smile, so that I can't divert my attention to anything else but him.

It seems that time itself froze when he shows his smile.

"No. I guess no. I change my mind." said Hotaru suddenly, which awakened me from my fantasy. That girl then repacked her camera and turned her head at us right before saying, "I need to go. I remember there's something I need to finish. See you tomorrow."

Without further ado, Hotaru quickly stood up and stepped away, about to go out of this room.

"Imai." Ruka-sama called suddenly, stopping the girl in the middle of her steps, but she is still not saying anything.

"Thanks."

At that time, I don't know whether it was just my imagination or what, the Ice Queen developed a bright red blush on her face. She then stepped quickly until her figure is out of sight.

I then looked at Ruka-sama who is still smiling proudly.

"You too, Thank you very much, Usa-chan."

_You're always welcome, Ruka-sama._

**The End**

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**Author's note: **I hope you liked this. You know, the ending is just the beginning of the relationship between Ruka and Hotaru, which I let you imagine it by yourself. I re-posted this fic due to lots of grammar errors in its first publishing. So I think the grammars are quite okay this time. Lastly, please give me some review. Your review surely will make my day brighter. See you next time.**  
**


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